May 15, 2015

Dive Log: Diving in Iceland - Part 3 (Bucket List Item!)

May 15, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

I remember the exact moment that I first learned about Silfra. We were on our way back from Roatan, having just spent a week diving in clear, warm, Caribbean waters, about a month after getting certified. We were waiting to board our last plane from Atlanta back to Detroit when Aaron looked at me and said, ''We should dive Iceland someday.'' I balked. That water was cold! What is there to see in Iceland? And that's when he showed me the pictures. I was sold. But we were still new to diving and missing some crucial gear (i.e. a drysuit) and experience. Not to mention flights are usually fairly expensive from the US to Iceland. So, I thought it would be years and years before we were able to dive it.

May 12, 2015

Dive Log: Diving in Iceland - Part 2

May 12, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

The next day, we were supposed to be diving in a lake fed by a geothermal hot spring. However, a storm had washed away part of the gravel road leading to it, therefore making it inaccessible while we were there. That's a testament to just how rugged the landscape is in Iceland. Even though it has been inhabited for over 1000 years, from when the first Vikings landed there, very little of the island has been tamed by man. But, it's a good thing to leave some things unspoiled.

May 08, 2015

Dive Log: Diving in Iceland - Part 1

May 08, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Sorry for the long blogging hiatus, but, oh man guys, the diving we did in Iceland was out of this world! No joke, it has probably spoiled a lot of cold water diving for us. The people were great, the diving amazing, and the weather beautiful. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. Let's rewind a bit and let me tell you about our first couple dives in Iceland.

April 30, 2015

Iceland Plans

April 30, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

As you read this, we are in Iceland, preparing for some diving in the cold, but amazing, waters of the Arctic circle. We started planning this trip a couple of months ago knowing that we wanted to dive Silfra (it's on our bucket list!) and we worried that slots would fill up. But we also realized that while our main reason for traveling here was diving, that we would also have a lot of other time to explore. This is when I began researching other things to do in the area. I would hate to travel there, just to be scrambling to find things to do during our surface intervals. Here, I have listed some of the things that we want to try to do and see, either on days that we are diving, or on our dry day before we head back to Germany.

April 28, 2015

7 Germans Words That Sound Inappropriate in English

April 28, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

Ahh, the German language! With it's famous compound words, umlauts and the guttural ch sound, the German language is not necessarily easiest language in the world to learn. Mark Twain has even written an entire novella about it. Despite it's difficulty to learn, let alone master, there are some amusing aspects to the German language. Over time, we have come across some....interesting....words that sound funny, inappropriate, or both, to an English speaker. The list below highlights some of the more colorful ones we have found. Enjoy!

April 24, 2015

6 Things To Do in Rothenburg ob der Tauber

April 24, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

This past weekend we took a quick overnight getaway to the famous German town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It is probably one of the most popular and quaint German towns you will ever see, and for good reason. This small walled city is oozing with medieval charm. From the half timbered houses, to the uneven cobbled stone streets, to the ancient walls that surround this city, there is so much to explore. Around every corner is a new sight or alley to explore, but I think the best way to experience Rothenburg is to spend the night there.

April 21, 2015

Family Time

April 21, 2015/ Meghan Oaks

I would like to apologize for the lack of a second post last week. See, I was kind of busy and didn't get a chance to write much, but it was for a good reason - my grandparents were in town! They took a 3 week long, trans-Atlantic cruise from Florida to Italy, and then came to visit for the week. I was too busy showing them our new home and spending time with them that I forgot to write a blog post for Friday. But don't despair, we got lots of fun in and I even managed to get some pictures. And for I think the first time in the history of this blog, a lot of the pictures in this post are my own! Of course they aren't quite as good as the hubby's are, but I don't think they're too shabby.